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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a line of people
  6. field — a subject
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — in football
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pop — soda
  17. field — farmland
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — the amount
  21. squash — the sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. file — a document
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com